… they can hold four times more litter than a non-compacting barrel.

Cambridge, MA – Harvard Yard, the organically managed centerpiece of the University, got a little greener with the installation of new recycling containers in the Yard. The receptacles were installed next to five new BigBelly solar-powered trash compactors. Rob Gogan, associate manager for Facilities Maintenance Operations Recycling & Waste Services, said, “We like the BigBellies because they can hold four times more litter than a non-compacting barrel. That means no unsightly, pest-friendly litter spilling out of the barrels. It also means that Harvard produces 1/4th the greenhouse gas from vehicle trips to service the barrels, less vehicle noise and air pollution, and fewer times that a truck has to disrupt pedestrian traffic. Most gratifyingly, the new set-up will give Yard visitors the chance to recycle their cans, cups, bottles and papers all across the Yard.” …

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BigBelly recycling kiosk at LACCD Pierce campus

This fall, the Los Angeles Community College District will kick off its extensive district-wide recycling campaign with a simple message: Make a deposit and save your planet … save your campus … save funds that can be used for other needs by the colleges.

The program includes the distribution of 150 new BigBellys throughout the District’s nine colleges. These state-of-the-art receptacles have a recycling side and a waste side. The recycling side accepts glass and aluminum cans and the waste side comes equipped with a trash compactor – powered by a solar-charged 12-volt battery – which allows the bins to compress and store up to 150 gallons of waste. The unit also includes a safety device that prevents anyone’s hands from getting trapped by the compactor and some come equipped with wireless monitors to indicate when they are full.

By making a deposit in these bins, students will not only keep their campus clean, but will also protect their environment and save precious natural resources.

The recycling operation will also help the colleges financially, thanks to money earned from the recycling centers.

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Trash collection is an expensive, time-consuming business – and a necessity for public health and safety. The City of Philadelphia had been making 17 trips each week to empty 700 wire baskets throughout Center City, at an annual cost of about $2.3 million.  After replacing those 700 receptacles with 500 solar-powered compactors and 210 recycling units, the City collects only 5 times a week, at an annual operating cost of about $720,000 – representing a 70% savings. Performing those 17 collections each week required 33 workers on 3 shifts, while performing the 5 collections per week under the new program requires only 9 workers on a single shift.  The other workers have been re-assigned to other, more productive tasks.  The deployment plan was a comprehensive package including a 3-year financing program, a 4-year extended warranty and service plan, and a wireless monitoring system on all 500 units. …

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Seattle, WA – The Metropolitan Improvement District plans to install 20 new BigBelly solar trash compactors. They will be located along Third Avenue between Stewart and University streets.

The compactors are self-powered and use built-in solar panels to generate energy to compact trash. They are about the same size as a standard 35-gallon trash barrel but BigBellys hold about five times the trash. The compactors cut the frequency of trash pickup by about 80 percent which reduces collection costs, fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, the district says.

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Solar Trash Cans Improve Quality of Life

BigBelly solar trash compactor installed on the SEFC Seawall.

Vancouver, CANADA – As part of a year-long City of Vancouver pilot project, the SEFC waterfront is equipped with BigBelly Solar Compactors in place of conventional street-side garbage receptacles. The BigBelly units, manufactured in the US, contain sensors that trigger compaction when the volume of trash reaches a certain threshold. The compactors are freestanding and are powered by a small solar panel mounted atop each unit.

BigBelly compactors take up as much space as conventional garbage receptacles, but boast five times the capacity. As a result, there is less likelihood of overflowing waste, and garbage collection is required much less frequently, reducing noise, traffic and emissions associated with garbage trucks. The BigBelly units can operate for eight years on the equivalent solar energy it takes to drive a garbage truck 1.6 kilometres.

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